STAND. COM. REP. NO.1512
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2001
RE: S.C.R. No. 147
S.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2001
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committees on Labor and Public Employment and Legislative Management, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 147, S.D. 1, entitled:
"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING A MANAGEMENT AUDIT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS' DISABILITY COMPENSATION DIVISION AND A STUDY OF WHETHER AN INJURED EMPLOYEE'S ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE IS BEING CURTAILED DUE TO THE PRACTICE OF TYING REIMBURSEMENT RATES TO THE MEDICAL FEE SCHEDULE,"
beg leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to address concerns over the administration of workers' compensation claims by requesting the Auditor to conduct:
(1) A management audit of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations' Disability Compensation Division (DCP); and
(2) A study to determine whether an injured employee's access to medical care is being curtailed due to the practice of tying reimbursement rates to the medical fee schedule.
The Hawaii Medical Association testified in support of this measure.
Your Committees find that there are concerns that a backlog of open workers' compensation cases has delayed the processing of claims and the rendering of decisions by DCP. In addition, there have also been reports of health care providers not accepting workers' compensation cases due to the reimbursement rates for such cases being tied to 110 percent of the Medicare Resource Based Relative Value Scale system as applicable to Hawaii.
As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Labor and Public Employment and Legislative Management that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 147, S.D. 1, and recommend its adoption.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Labor and Public Employment and Legislative Management,
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____________________________ NATHAN SUZUKI, Chair |
____________________________ TERRY NUI YOSHINAGA, Chair |
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